TR: Beyond Retreat April 6-16--E-class is the BEST!

[KKB]

So many of you followed @GenerationX's amazing Live TR for this cruise & even got to see DH & I in person in a couple photos...

My reviews tend to be a bit less interesting but I'll throw my 2 cents into the fire.

 

This was a first Retreat for DH & I after 8 Celebrity cruises in the last 10 years, 3 on Eclass.

I am OBSESSED with Eclass--absolutely my favorite ships at sea. 

@mac_tlc shot me an email when I was on the MSC Divina in Feb about a DEAL on Retreat over Easter. (hey, we are happy in an interior)

It was about what we paid for an SV on the Edge in 2021, so we jumped. 

Luckily the MSC internet was quite good & it was easy to do quickly.

 

We stayed at the Hyatt Centric Saturday night prior--uh, my new fav place to stay. (thanks alot, Charla!)

We usually use points at IHG or Hilton properties but realized that DH had $50 hotel credit to use with his Chase Preferred & it put the price at less than the Candlewood Suites (It's fine...)

 

When we walked to the elevator & DH saw a champagne vending machine--he said, "Are you sure we are in the right hotel?!?"

Just follow me, babe--I'm the Travel Deal Queen (HEY--I think I just created my travel blog name!)

 

It was 730 & we were just too pooped from traveling all day so decided to get our free drinks & a meal at the bar.

Great bartenders, music, food, drinks--it was a great choice.

And the fact that @GenerationX joined us for a nightcab made it the PERFECT choice!

Us girls got chatting & DH realized it was his time to bow out...well, we closed down the bar! 

Charla--you are a JOY to be with!

[KKB]

Embarkation:

Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

We arrived about 10:15, walked right up to Retreat lounge (ooooh, posh), at a drink & snacks to supplement our trail mix breakfast...and were walked on at 10:45.

FASTEST EVER!

 

Beyond is very very much like Edge & Apex with some nice modifications.

Just wandered--checked out the new & improved (COVERED) Sunset bar & tried a Skinny & Spicy marg---HOLY COW. I think they put a WHOLE jalapeno in there & all the seeds! FIRE!

 

We wandered around Retreat & were pleased with the area--another area that is apparently a very nice improvement from Apex & Edge (MORE SPACE)

 

2PM--CC Meet Up w/ @GenerationX, @mac_tlc, @silkwood, @Mrs_Tiki & Kathleen (NUTS--I don't remember your handle!). WHAT A WONDERFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE!!! We chatted nonstop for 2.5 hours & I'm confident we could have sat there all night. 

My ONLY complaint is that I did NOT run into most these people enough (or at all!) all week! How is that possible, all of us in the Retreat?? I was SHOCKED that I didn't see Charla all week after that. (oh, I saw her comings & goings online AFTER the fact!) 

Guess we needed to be more purposeful about that!

 

During our meet Charla overheard a woman going OFF on the Retreat Concierge about how she had to ride the elevator with the "regular" passengers (THE HORROR!) & her luggage wasn't in her room by 2:45! (HUH?) She was SO rude.

She then made a post on another social media site & went on how the Beyond was dirty (a dirty towel left on her bathroom floor--NO!) & all should be warned. Luckily several of us observed her tirade & let her know that we were not impressed with her elitist rudeness. 

Goes to show--take those reviews with a grain of salt folks! 

 

Had a Shellac manicure--better than any I've had on land for little more. It STILL looks GREAT. 

(I have NEVER done this--it was to fill out an American Express deal: $175 off $500 on Celebrity. We booked Chef's Table & Le Voyage & It wasn't quite $500 so I tossed in the manicure to get there)

 

We LOVED our S2 Sky Suite--but once again, barely used that balcony! (that's just us)

I appreciated the bathroom size but I hate stepping into a tub--I tend to be a whirlwind, step in too fast & wipeout!

 

Our butler was lovely but, IDK, nothing striking. 

There was Sauvignon Blanc instead of champagne from Concierge per my request, but nothing more.

He did swap Heineken for Corona but never got Diet Coke as we asked on Day 1 (he took random notes). Water & beer were stocked daily.

He left a plate of cheese/crackers/fruit Monday, but never again.

They did leave an Anniversary celebration--champagne, chocolates, balloons, banner. Nice.

But that was it.

Not bad, but not memorable.

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by KKB

[KKB]

Food:

Chef's Table: 

HOLY COW! AMAZING! 

Maybe the best meal I've ever had--top 5 for sure. 

(this compared to a post on that other site that their Chef's Table experience was not good later in the week; no details, poster was polite & said things "were taken care of"--not sure why you share if they bent over backwards to make things right)

It is held in Le Voyage. Only 4 of us (again--GREAT company!); one couple overslept??!!

(HUH? At $125/plate I'M NOT OVERSLEEPING

 

6 courses, all terrific but the highlight of the meal was the Ajo Blanco Malagueño.

Plate comes out with bits of honeydew & grapes then they pour a cold pureed almond soup heavily infused with garlic.

THOSE FLAVORS SHOULD NOT GO TOGETHER!

But they do--SOOOO beautifully...all 4 of us wanted to lick that bowl clean & request another vat!

 

Note--they "start" with Vueve & will refill that glass all meal long if you want!

They brought out an anniversary small cake (29th April 2) & gave us all 20 year port--sadly wasted on all of us as none of us cared for it. They said they would send the cake to our room but it never showed up! No big deal--not huge dessert people.

 

Le Voyage (regular menu not tasting--tho the tasting menu is similar to Chef's Table)

OK--I wish we hadn't done it the very next night.

It was good. Very good (I even had the same dessert at Chef's Table). 

Filet so tender you could cut it with a fork. 

But to have it the day after Chef's Table--well, it couldn't measure up!

Again--VERY good, but I wish I could have spread those meals out a bit.

(impossible on this 2/3 full ship--Retreat full & many bought dining packages so speciality dining was tough to get into)

 

I missed Eden but with 2 specialty meals we felt we wanted to do Retreat the other nights.

 

Luminae

I would put this a small step up the MDRs of Eclass. 

Were seated next to a variety of passengers & had lovely conversations each night. 

Same servers at every meal. 

NO complaints at all (OK one night the sun was BEATING thru the window & I had to ask to have the shades pulled as I was SWEATING in 3 min--they obliged. I am a very low maintenance person, so I hated to ask but it was non-negotiable)

 

Buffet

Solid choice for breakfast, pizza, lunch, snacks

 

Cafe Al Bacio

Wonderful coffee as always

No gluten free macaroons until mid-way--I think I noticed it on Apex. 

I suspect it is better to have them late then early & run out...

[KKB]

Casino:

Video poker machines not great. 

2 pair pays 1-1 on Jacks or Better & I could really feel that difference for making our $ last.

 

Poker:

Between the 2 of us we cashed 3/6 tournaments.

I did well every night at the cash game except the last night.

Great bunch of people to play with.

 

LOVE that it's non-smoking!

 

 

[KKB]

Bars

We made a point to hit each bar at least once for a drink.

 

Bar service

Martini bar & World Class bar were great.

 

Retreat pool area:

This was where they dropped the ball a bit. (really think it should be where you step it up)

I would have expected a server coming around frequently--not so much.

One day I sat for 10 min at a table for lunch at the Retreat bar w/o so much as a "someone will be right with you"--had to flag someone down.

 

And--what happened to the iced washcloths at the pool--they used to distribute them at the regular pool area, so was VERY surprised they didn't have them at Retreat.

 

NOW--these are small things that could easily be remedied & by no means ruined my experience.

 

[KKB]

Entertainment

HOLY COW--I forgot how Eclass has stepped this one up (after disappointing shows on Equinox in Nov)

 

We saw production shows Arte, Elements & Stage Door--WOW WOW WOW! 

Celebrity Eclass KNOWS how to do a production show! 

Incredible talent.

Even DH saw Arte & Elements & was impressed (he's not a huge "production show" guy)

The inclusion of contemporary music is wise, imo. 

 

Also saw the Boy Band Band Project--surprisingly DH enjoyed this one!

It's a tad cheesy but in a fun way & if you like boys bands, you will enjoy it.

 

Jesse Hamilton, Jr, an excellent vocalist. 

He infused his show with personal anecdotes--loved it!

Met him at the bar later in the week & it was a joy--super personal guy.

 

We were at nearly every trivia & game show--favorites of ours on all ships.

We even managed to win a few trivias (no prizes--but truly not the point)

@mac_tlcwere great trivia partners!

 

Honestly we were SO busy, we had little time to play a few games of cribbage that we like to while traveling!

 

[Silkroad]

Great trip report! You beat me to it lol. I’m working on mine. We had a wonderful time, and we really enjoyed meeting all of you. I’m fairly certain that Kathleen is @Irishredhead21

[KKB]

Ports

Uh--we got off once. (Nassau)

For an hour. (to finally see Atlantis--underwhelming)

THAT'S IT!

 

Why?

Well, we have done 23 Caribbean cruises in 20 years.

Having been to all these ports several times over & decided since we splurge on Retreat we were going to take full advantage of it! 

Every day involved a few hours at/in the pool in Retreat--love me a deserted ship on a port day whether in Retreat or not.

We did truly love the Retreat area. Never an issue getting a seat in sun or shade.

 

Will we do Retreat again?

Yes--if the price is right again. (and that was a pretty LOW price point for Retreat).

We are in our room so rarely that we are fine in an interior (have had good luck on those Move Up bids to balconies the last year or so!)

But we would rather travel more frequently & if we did Retreat exclusively, we would have to travel less, at least at this time.

 

It was a FANTASTIC cruise.

You can see I mentioned a few tiny hiccups--but I have yet to have a perfect trip.

But they have all been GREAT (even my least fav cruises...)

 

 

[KKB]

3 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

Great trip report! You beat me to it lol. I’m working on mine. We had a wonderful time, and we really enjoyed meeting all of you. I’m fairly certain that Kathleen is @Irishredhead21

YES I believe you are right!

To another cruise together!

[Silkroad]

Just now, KKB said:

YES I believe you are right!

To another cruise together!

I’ll drink to that! Cheers! 🥂😁

[George C]

We also love E class retreat outdoor area is great , but we had issues trying to find chairs in the sun a couple of times on beyond, preferred it on edge . Also thought Edge Luminae was a little better than Beyond , Beyond shows were among best we ever seen in 75 or so cruises. We were treated like royalty on Edge since we did a move up to penthouse. We rarely used balconies on either cruise.

[Irishredhead21]

6 hours ago, KKB said:

2PM--CC Meet Up w/ @GenerationX, @mac_tlc, @silkwood, @Mrs_Tiki & Kathleen (NUTS--I don't remember your handle!). WHAT A WONDERFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE!!! We chatted nonstop for 2.5 hours & I'm confident we could have sat there all night. 

My ONLY complaint is that I did NOT run into most these people enough (or at all!) all week! How is that possible, all of us in the Retreat?? I was SHOCKED that I didn't see Charla all week after that. (oh, I saw her comings & goings online AFTER the fa

Hi Gang!! Yes, super sleuth @Silkroad found me (Kathleen). Great review, @KKB. I loved meeting you and the rest of the CC gang including @mac_tlc, @GenerationX (I actually had to stop myself from asking for your autograph) and @Mrs_Tiki  and you were all so welcoming although I don’t post often. I was lucky enough to have some further interactions with some of you during the week and loved our conversations. I hope we all cruise again at some point in the not too distant future!  
 

This was my third cruise ever (first two were on the Apex last year—British Isles and the TA from Rome). I certainly loved the Apex and now adore the Beyond. I’ve been splurging on suites so far albeit well priced ones after the restart (and with a little help from my new friends on this last one) but that may come to abrupt end in the near future.  Even so, the memories will live on and are definitely priceless. I didn’t know if I would get the whole cruising concept, but boy was I ever wrong. It’s a downright blast! 
 

I will share one story. I only took one excursion this time around, the Celebrity “Mexocology” excursion in Cozumel. Our soon to be very merry band of travelers were met on the pier very early in the morning by a man who gathered everyone and put us in taxi vans for a short drive to Dolphinia (where people were engaging in various adventures such as cooking classes and swimming with the dolphins). It is now only 8:30 am and we were split into groups of eight.  My group was warmly greeting by a man named Luis who handed us each a fruity margarita. We then followed him up a flight of stairs and were shown to our workstations where we would work in pairs and make our drinks and guacamole with fabulous fresh ingredients. The next three hours are a bit of a blur—you’ll understand better in a minute—but I know we made at least five full-sized drinks (stopping midway to eat our guac along with various other delicious tidbits that we were given). Around 10:15 after we made all our drinks, which culminated in a final shot of mezcal which we clearly needed, we sat down to order lunch from a provided menu (I had delicious fajitas) which allowed us time to also finish all the other drinks we had made. I felt enormously close to the others in my group who were complete strangers a mere two hours before — as one tends to do after sharing copious amounts of alcohol that early in the morning! (At one point, I’m pretty sure I even considered proposing to our leader, Luis, because I thought how nice it would be to have access to those fancy drinks all the time.)
 

Anyway, we were back on the ship by 11:30 am. And I was back in bed by 11:33.  It was a heck of an excursion and I shall always remember Cozumel with warm, albeit slightly muddled (get it — a cocktail joke), fondness. 🍹🍹 

 

[Texed]

KKB,

Thanks a lot for posting. 😊

[boxkite]

Wow, Kathleen loved all the different drinks your group made and great pictures too!

 

Will need to take that Celebrity “Mexocology” excursion next time we are in Cozumel.

[Irishredhead21]

10 hours ago, boxkite said:

Wow, Kathleen loved all the different drinks your group made and great pictures too!

 

Will need to take that Celebrity “Mexocology” excursion next time we are in Cozumel.

Thank you! It was a blast and I highly recommend it!!

[Mrs_Tiki]

@KKB, thank you for taking the time to do this great trip report. It was fun to relive the memories of our fantastic cruise, although like you, I regret not seeing more of @GenerationX@mac_tlc@Silkroad and @Irishredhead21.

 

I know that @mac_tlc will be with DH and me on the Ascent in January. Anyone else?

 

[Silkroad]

 @KKB I hope you will forgive me for adding my little bit to your wonderful trip report. Once I began composing my own, I realized I'd mostly echo things you, @GenerationX and @mac_tlc had already said in your reviews.

 

Since there is so much interest in noise issues on Beyond, I'll add my bit. We were in Magic Carpet Sky Suite 8220, which is located at the aft end of the MC on deck eight. We heard banging & creaking for a few hours one evening when the sea was more active (versus the quite calm seas on other days). Though it was a bit distracting while we were having a conversation, we had no trouble getting to sleep. I contrast this with our experience on the first Edge TA, when the banging & creaking in our stateroom was so loud that I was unable to sleep at all for several hours while we skirted a storm.

 

The thought Beyond's World Class Bar was superb! We wanted to take the bar - and the bartenders - home with us lol. Though we enjoyed Luminae, our best meal was in Eden. Our server - Michelle - was excellent, as was the food. I love the Bazaar Bowl, which I followed with Crab Cake and Branzino. DH also had the crab cake, along with the salmon. We'll try some different items on our future cruises aboard Apex, Beyond and Edge, but I love the Bazaar Bowl too much to skip it lol. As others have said, some design flaws have been corrected on Beyond. Her open decks have more shaded areas and wind protection. The Sunset Bar is gorgeous. We like to walk, and we enjoy the original art that can be found on Celebrity ships. Seven days wasn't enough to see everything, but we found many beautiful and thought provoking pieces throughout the ship. That said, my heart still belongs to Mr. Edge.

 

It was so much fun to join the meetup in the Retreat Lounge! It was amazing that we didn't encounter one another more frequently during subsequent days. We enjoyed the random encounters we did have with each of you very much.

 

@Mrs_Tiki I wish we could join you and @mac_tlc on Ascent, but alas we cannot. I wish we had jumped on the sale when you did! I did present the Ascent cruise concept to DH, who reminded me that (a) we're spending a month in Norway, Iceland & Ireland this summer and (b) we booked two cruises onboard, and (c) we have yet another cruise on hold. I can't say he's wrong lol.

[KKB]

3 hours ago, Mrs_Tiki said:

@KKB, thank you for taking the time to do this great trip report. It was fun to relive the memories of our fantastic cruise, although like you, I regret not seeing more of @GenerationX@mac_tlc@Silkroad and @Irishredhead21.

 

I know that @mac_tlc will be with DH and me on the Ascent in January. Anyone else?

 

 

3 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

 @KKB I hope you will forgive me for adding my little bit to your wonderful trip report. Once I began composing my own, I realized I'd mostly echo things you, @GenerationX and @mac_tlc had already said in your reviews.

 

Since there is so much interest in noise issues on Beyond, I'll add my bit. We were in Magic Carpet Sky Suite 8220, which is located at the aft end of the MC on deck eight. We heard banging & creaking for a few hours one evening when the sea was more active (versus the quite calm seas on other days). Though it was a bit distracting while we were having a conversation, we had no trouble getting to sleep. I contrast this with our experience on the first Edge TA, when the banging & creaking in our stateroom was so loud that I was unable to sleep at all for several hours while we skirted a storm.

 

The thought Beyond's World Class Bar was superb! We wanted to take the bar - and the bartenders - home with us lol. Though we enjoyed Luminae, our best meal was in Eden. Our server - Michelle - was excellent, as was the food. I love the Bazaar Bowl, which I followed with Crab Cake and Branzino. DH also had the crab cake, along with the salmon. We'll try some different items on our future cruises aboard Apex, Beyond and Edge, but I love the Bazaar Bowl too much to skip it lol. As others have said, some design flaws have been corrected on Beyond. Her open decks have more shaded areas and wind protection. The Sunset Bar is gorgeous. We like to walk, and we enjoy the original art that can be found on Celebrity ships. Seven days wasn't enough to see everything, but we found many beautiful and thought provoking pieces throughout the ship. That said, my heart still belongs to Mr. Edge.

 

It was so much fun to join the meetup in the Retreat Lounge! It was amazing that we didn't encounter one another more frequently during subsequent days. We enjoyed the random encounters we did have with each of you very much.

 

@Mrs_Tiki I wish we could join you and @mac_tlc on Ascent, but alas we cannot. I wish we had jumped on the sale when you did! I did present the Ascent cruise concept to DH, who reminded me that (a) we're spending a month in Norway, Iceland & Ireland this summer and (b) we booked two cruises onboard, and (c) we have yet another cruise on hold. I can't say he's wrong lol.

EVERYONE is welcome to join my TR!

If we do Jan Ascent and/or Nov TA on Beyond--will all be in steerage! This was our splurge. 

(Now find me that same price point again...and we are in!)

@silkwood heading to Ireland, UK & Norway for 3+ weeks next month so if I can answer any questions, let me know! Trying MSC again...will enable me to make a more firm decision on my feelings about them!

[Texed]

Silkroad,

Thanks for posting.  I knew you would love Beyond, a great ship.  😊

[Silkroad]

1 hour ago, KKB said:

 

EVERYONE is welcome to join my TR!

If we do Jan Ascent and/or Nov TA on Beyond--will all be in steerage! This was our splurge. 

(Now find me that same price point again...and we are in!)

@silkwood heading to Ireland, UK & Norway for 3+ weeks next month so if I can answer any questions, let me know! Trying MSC again...will enable me to make a more firm decision on my feelings about them!

Ahhh but wouldn’t you like to join us on the spring 2024 TA on Beyond, maybe even b2b with the 11-night Turkey and Greece? Am I a bad influence? 😈

Edited April 20, 2023 by Silkroad

[KKB]

8 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

Ahhh but wouldn’t you like to join us on the spring TA on Beyond, maybe even b2b with the 11-night Turkey and Greece? Am I a bad influence? 😈

OOOH...MAYBE...dates?

[Silkroad]

Just now, KKB said:

OOOH...MAYBE...dates?

TA - 22 April 2024 to 6 May 2024

Italy, Turkey, and Greek Islands- 6 May 2024 to 17 May 2024

 

[KKB]

Just now, Silkroad said:

TA - 22 April 2024 to 6 May 2024

Italy, Turkey, and Greek Islands- 6 May 2024 to 17 May 2024

 

Ah, yes, golf league begins early May...so those are out! SHOOT

[Silkroad]

2 minutes ago, KKB said:

Ah, yes, golf league begins early May...so those are out! SHOOT

Boooooooo. So have you considered cross training? We can set up a sweet exercise routine on Beyond. It will require trotting up and down stairs between the Retreat, Luminae, Eden, WCB, Martini Bar, Casino, Theater…

[KKB]

1 minute ago, Silkroad said:

Boooooooo. So have you considered cross training? We can set up a sweet exercise routine on Beyond. It will require trotting up and down stairs between the Retreat, Luminae, Eden, WCB, Martini Bar, Casino, Theater…

Oh that is my main workout routine on a ship...

Dan is golf addict!